If you've been following EndoBlog for a while, you may already know that I'm doing my PhD as a medical futurologist at the University of Debrecen. So far, you've been able to hear first-hand about endometriosis-related news on EndoBlog, whether it's diagnostic or therapeutic innovations, but now that I can apply my futurology methods, the flow of information will be even faster, and I'll try to bring you the latest trends and promising research. And the fastest way, of course, is EndoStop SisterHood I will bring the news to my members so that they can stay one step ahead of everyone. 🙂
In this article, I'll first explain what this promising new drug is all about, and in SisterHood's March feature, you'll learn about what this phase of drug development means, how long it might take to get this drug to market, and what we can expect in the future.
The good news is that I will soon open the application for the World Endometriosis Day in March. to the club, so if you're curious, you'll have access to the largest endometriosis knowledge base in Hungary. For info, check out the EndoMail, and sign up to the waiting list so you don't miss the opening!
Andrew Horne, professor of gynaecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Edinburgh, told thez Economist, that he believes there is a huge backlog of research on endometriosis. While doctors understand exactly why, for example, diabetes develops and how to treat it, their knowledge of endometriosis is "30-40 years behind". The professor blames this on a lack of research and awareness, caused by a lack of funding.
But recently, a hopeful turnaround has begun to emerge. I have previously told you about an innovative diagnostic procedure from the French company Ziwig, and my interview with representatives of the company HERE tyou're sleeping. Now there is a new trend in therapeutic options that is worth paying attention to. Promising results have been shown for the first treatment of endometriosis non-hormonal, non-surgical treatment clinical trial in Scotland, which started in 2023. Dr Horne says the idea for the trial he is leading was born out of a more in-depth study of the development of endometriosis lesions.
Patients were sampled during diagnostic laparoscopy and found that those with peritoneal endometriosis - a disease affecting the lining of the pelvic cavity, which accounts for about 80% of cases - had significantly higher levels of a substance called lactate in the pelvic cavity than those without endometriosis.
The name lactate sounds familiar, doesn't it? It is a by-product of energy production that is recycled by the body. It is burned in certain tissues (e.g. brain, heart muscle) or converted to sugar, glycogen, in the liver.
The researchers believe that the increased presence of lactate may also play a role in the development of endometriosis lesions, probably in a very similar way to the way it promotes cancer cell proliferation. The scientists then searched for a drug that had already been tested in cancer patients, and finally chose dichloroacetate (dca). This drug is also used to treat rare types of metabolic disorders in children, in which too much lactic acid builds up in the blood.
A small group of human patients treated with dca reported reduced pain and improved quality of life. At this point, a larger cohort study will now follow, comparing the results of patients treated with dca with those of the placebo group. If the drug does well here, dca will be the first non-hormonal and non-surgical medical treatment for this disease. This would also be an amazing achievement because researchers have not come up with a new treatment for endometriosis in the last four decades.
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